Tag: visual recognition

The particular street signs, windows, and balconies on this street mark it as Parisian.

Paris, the city of light, is instantly recognizable—as long as you’re looking at a photo of the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. But could you recognize the city if the picture lacked a flashy landmark? (Try testing yourself here—just don’t look at the text on signs.)

If you find yourself stumped, know that a new software program has you beat: it can identify a city from a single photo of any old street. Almost any street, the program’s designers found, has little details that give away its city, including distinctive street signs, windows, and balconies.